A new 'color purple' emerging

We are familiar with the novel and Steven Spielberg movie, "The Color Purple."

The BBC news report of Jan. 7 took viewers from around the world to remote Tasmania. Brush fires from intense heat on the island province south of Australia are an ominous sign to Australian government officials to brace for the forthcoming heat of 2013.

Already, heat records of Australia have brought on a deep purple coloring to indicate along with numbers what is occurring in the country. New South Wales and Victoria will feel intense heat as 2013 unfolds. Weather sections of newspapers elsewhere will perhaps be revealing a new color as global heat rises.

Ironically, Australia, Canada and the U.S. host the largest number of climate change skeptics. Does the U.S. really need more storms like Irene (2011) and Sandy (2012) that shut down New York City to indicate something is evolving in our weather conditions?

Will the color purple appearing on weather reports stimulate our ecological awareness? In 2012, bright red on weather reports covered much of the continental USA. And now possibly purple to portray how hot it really has become.

U.S. Sen. John Kerry. who may replace Hillary Clinton as the next secretary of state, is already under pressure to reject the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.

NASA scientist James Hansen and 1,200 opponents of Keystone risked arrest as they surrounded the White House in 2011, trying to convince President Obama to reject Keystone. Scientists are convinced burning tar sands oil is three times more harmful to the planet than ordinary oil. "Carbon neutrality" is not possible with tar sands oil.

There seem to be few options other than a warming climate. Tasmania burning today may be a sign of things to come in 2013.

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A new 'color purple' emerging

We are familiar with the novel and Steven Spielberg movie, 'The Color Purple.'The BBC news report of Jan. 7 took viewers from around the world to remote Tasmania. Brush fires from intense heat on the